In the field of spinal therapy, it is well known that serious loss of motion, painful contractures, and stiffness may occur after back surgery or injury. It is also known that during the rehabilitation period disorganized scars may form in lieu of normal collagen formation which may impede the healing process and subsequent recovery. Many of these complications may be eliminated by passively assisting spinal motion by means of a Kinetic Rehabilitation Device ("KRD") employing controlled passive motion. These devices require a patient to lay in either a prone or supine position, or side position, on a table which provides the necessary flexion and extension to properly passively exercise muscle groups surrounding the lumbar spine.
Several current KRDs provide a means for passively exercising muscle groups surrounding the lumbar spine for postoperative and other rehabilitative therapy. However, because the drive means of such devices are often comprised of a chain-driven drive system that uses cams and push-rods to effect movement of the patient, the devices lack the necessary precise control and consistency needed to prescribe specific rehabilitative therapy. More specifically, the amount of flexion and extension is unduly limited by the cam openings that dictate the range of motion of the chain-driven systems. Furthermore, changing the degree of flexion and extension can be dangerous and time consuming because the user must physically move the push-rod from one opening in the cam to another.
Additionally, most KRDs do not have diagnostic capabilities whereby a practitioner can increase the flexion or extension of a patient in small increments until the patient provides the appropriate feedback. For example, in a chain-driven KRD the cam and push-rod assembly requires that the device go through its full range of motion before returning to the starting position. However, some KRDs allow a patient who senses discomfort to immediately arrest the movement of the pivoting table by means of a control button or some other device. Although such pivoting tables will stop, they do so in theft current position leaving the patient extended or flexed over the table unable to exit the table and relieve the discomfort.
Moreover, while using some KRDs a patient will suffer discomfort due to the shear force applied against her face created by the movement of a pad against the patient's static face. Some KRDs provide an opening in the pad positioned against the patient's face to reduce the shear force, but the force is not completely removed because the sides of the patient's face are positioned against the inside of the moving opening.
Unfortunately, the aforementioned problems culminate in the patient being required to participate in supervised care for a longer time period, ultimately inhibiting the patient's recovery.